How long have you worked in Nové Město ?
I have been with the company since completing my vocational training in 1990. I began in roller production and changed to the service department in 1997. I have instructed service technicians since 2005. In the beginning we concentrated mainly on theory. Today, however, we focus more on practical training and troubleshooting.

What can you tell us about the people who participate in training events ?
They range from technicians with years of experience in servicing compaction machines to inexperienced beginners who have never before seen a roller. Working with first group is easier. Trainees with experience allow us to concentrate on concrete details, innovations and new machines. The challenges are greater when it comes to beginners. We teach them the necessary basics and provide them with documents where they can find all the information they need if the need arises. Every training ends with an examination and the presentation of a certificate.

How has the training centre changed in comparison to the previous year with regard to facilities ?
We have integrated the service department and workshop in the hall at the training centre. This allows us to use the crane and other equipment belonging to the service centre. We have also set up a second training room that allows us to teach two separate groups independently from one another.

What are your goals for 2012 ? 
We want to concentrate on the quality of our training measures in 2012. We will invest in demonstration material and supplement the troubleshooting section. We are preparing new training measures in view of extensions and supplements to the product range such as, for instance, the new AP240 HT3 pneumatic - tyred roller or AV 95 T3 tandem roller, as well as the completely redesigned series of lightweight tandem rollers from Langenthal.

The main advantage of the electronic catalogue system is the quick and easy identification of spare parts. The Ammann catalogue has a tree structure that enables navigation by product group, machine model and serial number range down to individual parts. Users can also search directly by spare part number; the system displays a corresponding exploded view within seconds depicting the machine in which the spare part is used.
The catalogue’s product structure also includes links to PDF documents specific to the machine, such as operating instructions, printed spare parts catalogues and spare part recommendations. The product groups have the same structure as those on the marketing platform PictureParc. This platform will remain available for sales information ( brochures, photos, presentations ). Information specific to after - sales will be transferred completely to the online platform in the near future. The platform currently comprises 700 interactive spare parts catalogues and around 2,600 PDF documents. Ammann will continuously expand the available information.

Communication with Ammann ERP in real time
The online platform offers numerous other advantages through a direct connection to Ammann’s ERP system. For instance : technical notes or information on replaced article numbers are displayed as soon as the corresponding items are selected. This reduces incorrect orders and queries to a minimum. Furthermore, sales partners can check the availability of around 25,000 articles actively managed by the Spare Parts Service at any time.
Other benefits include the display of shipping costs in dependence on the shipment weight, the destination and the delivery date at the time the order is placed as well as an order tracking option. Order processing is a very efficient process as users can fill the shopping basket by directly entering the spare part numbers from the electronic catalogue or via an upload function.

Electronic catalogue also available to Ammann customers
Access to the electronic spare parts catalogue is now also available to Ammann customers; they can also benefit from the advantages of the electronic catalogue system with its search fields and interactive functionality. Login details are available via a registration section on the Ammann homepage .

Ammann’s sales partners and customers alike stand to benefit from faster and easier identification and order processing, larger ordering slots and shorter processing and delivery times for spare parts thanks to the interplay between the Spare Parts Service in Langenthal as a central point of contact, the distribution centre in Dortmund and the new online platform.

"A very good innovation"
“The online platform enabled us to significantly improve our spare parts service as we can check prices and availability with just a few clicks in the portal. Order transfers have also become more reliable as orders can no longer get stuck in the fax machine.
The electronic product catalogue is another very good innovation from Ammann. The images of spare parts are very clear and exact. Another good function is the option to open a shopping basket directly in the catalogue that can be converted directly into an order.”

David Bangerter, Rohrer - Marti AG, Switzerland

"Simple identification"
“The new Internet platform offers a wealth of information. Identifying spare parts is quick and easy, as is downloading service manuals and direct order placement and tracking.
Searching by serial numbers sometimes produces ambiguous results and could be improved. Future extensions should include an option for our customers to fill a shopping basket that we can adopt in our ERP system via a text file and convert it directly into an order.”

Tinne Ooms, Luyckx N.V., Belgium

"We can save time"
“We can save time thanks to the online platform as the tool enables us to directly query prices and availability and track orders. Generating an order is very easy.
The note appended to certain articles concerning new material numbers or technical details are also very helpful.”

Javier Cardona, Neumac S.A., Spain

The European Championships have taken place every four years since 1960. The tournament will be held for the 14th time this year. It is the second time that the games will take place in Eastern Europe; the first was the 1976 tournament in Yugoslavia. It is also the second time that the games will be hosted by two countries. In contrast to the EURO2008, which was held in Austria and Switzerland, the finals in Poland and the Ukraine will not be characterised by short journeys – the distance between stadiums can be as much as 1,600 kilometres.

Ukraine upgrades 3,000 km of highway
A significant proportion of the investments relating to the European Championships flowed not only into the eight stadiums but also into the traffic infrastructure. Airports, train lines and, last but not least, highways had to be brought up to scratch for the event. The Ukrainian government tripled the budget earmarked for road construction. Nearly 3,000 kilometres of existing routes were upgraded to highways or roads of an equivalent quality. Leading the way is a highway section of 600 kilometres; it stretches across the country from Lubny in the west to central Ukraine.
In 2007, Poland’s highway network was 2.5 times smaller than that of Switzerland, despite the fact that Poland is a transit country. However, the government’s goal of completing the highway network expansion project by 2020 has proved to be too ambitious. The network would have had to quadruple in size in just 15 years to grow by 2,000 km. The plans to build an additional 5,300 kilometres of dual carriageways ( Expressways ), which form the spine of Poland’s road traffic system, were equally as ambitious.

“Only” 906 km of new highway
The five-year plan ( 2008–2012 ) for road construction required investments amounting to 33 billion euro. The calculations for both time and financial means fell short of the mark, which is why the initial plans were cut down to size at the beginning of 2011 : accordingly, “only” 906 km of highway and the Expressway stretches already under construction are to be completed by June 2012. According to the plans, certain sections of the A1 ( Danzig–Łódź–Czech border ), A2 ( Germany–Warsaw–Belarus ) and A4 ( Germany–Wroclaw–Krakow–Ukrainian border ) highways will not be completed until after the championships have taken place. This will affect the A4 highway in particular, as it will be used by fans crossing the borders between countries.

200 Ammann mixing plants in Poland
Ammann has maintained a subsidiary in Poland since 1994. The Ukrainian branch was set up in 2008. The Asbut Company has since established itself as Ammann’s most important and very successful partner in the Ukraine.
70 % of all road surfaces in Poland are produced by mixing plants from Ammann. Just under 200 Ammann mixing plants are currently operating in Poland. Poland has a total of 340 operational mixing plants, of which 20 % are older models with outputs of up to 30 t/h. This makes Ammann the absolute market leader for mixing plants in Poland.

Ammann sold more than a dozen large plants with outputs between 240 and 300 t/h alone in connection with construction measures relating to the European Championships. All of the plants share the characteristic trait of quick relocatability. Four of the plants sold in the Ukraine relate directly to the European Championships. Three of them are located where football matches will take place : two JustBlack 120 in Charkov and a Uniglobe 200 in Kiev. A Global 160 is in operation in Lutsk, close to the Border with Poland. Ammann is currently the strongest competitor of the local plant manufacturer, whereby the difference in price is considerable.

Construction sites full of Ammann machines
A remarkable development involving compaction machines from the house of Ammann is currently taking shape. Sales in Poland are increasing year on year. Thousands of Ammann machines are meanwhile entering the market every year. Sales have risen by around 25 % in connection with the preparations for the European Championships. Small wonder, then, that they are to be found on every construction site that has to do with the football tournament. The heavy vibratory plates with three - shaft technology were particularly in demand, as were compactors of the medium weight category ( 200–300 kg ) and the new generation of rammers. The car park extension at Warsaw airport was a particularly spectacular sight. Every machine at work here, from the smallest compactor to vibratory plates to tandem rollers, is made by Ammann.
 
These pictures make the people at Ammann feel a sense of pride. After all, they prove that the right team “on the pitch”, an outstanding crew in the background, the right training and the right technology together can master even the most
difficult games.

Light Tandem Rollers setting a new standard

A new hydraulic concept coupled with the latest Yanmar diesel engine technology is responsible for a significant increase in efficiency. It allows the diesel engine to run at a much lower speed, effectively reducing consumption and noise emissions. A generously designed operator station with vibration insulation, a simple and clearly laid out operating panel and the multi-functional drive lever form a unit that any driver will welcome for ergonomic reasons and more.

Trench excavation for the new canalisation system will amount to around 9500 cubic metres. The Ammann machines at work on the site offer the user a number of unique features with real advantages. The heavy vibratory plate AVH 100-20 is equipped with three-shaft technology for excellent running properties and outstanding compaction results, especially on very cohesive substrates.

Modern compaction technology guarantees measurable additional benefits

A further plus factor the vibratory plate has to offer is the ACEeco compaction system derived from the Ammann Compaction Expert "ACE", a tried and tested system for comprehensive compaction control. ACEeco uses an easily readable LED scale to indicate compaction progress and the maximum compaction level achievable with the machine. An innovative safety feature in the form of a dead man's handle with grip sensors is now available as an optional extra for every heavy vibratory plate from Ammann. This system provides additional safety not only during trench compaction.

lease accept our sincere thanks for the good cooperation and your confidence in our company throughout 2011. We look forward to being your competent partner – in the new year as well.

We look forward to tackling the challenges of the future – together with you.

We wish you good health and every success in 2012.    

Ammann Group, Langenthal